Health Commissioner Congratulates Dr. Mark Chassin on His Appointment as Joint Commission President

Albany, N.Y., August 1, 2007 - The Joint Commission, the national leader in setting quality standards and accreditation for health-care organizations, made an excellent choice today in selecting Mark R. Chassin, M.D., M.P.P., M.P.H., as its president starting January 1, 2008, State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., said.

Formerly known as the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Health Organizations, the Commission (www.jointcommission.org) has been the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care since 1951. As such, it evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health-care organizations and programs in the United States. The Joint Commission has maintained state-of-the-art standards that focus on improving the quality and safety of care provided by health-care organizations. Joint Commission accreditation is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting certain performance standards.

Commissioner Daines said, "Dr. Chassin is a highly respected physician and leader in health-care quality initiatives. He has experience in both the public and private sectors and is a great choice to head the Joint Commission. We at the State Health Department are proud to congratulate our colleague and friend on his appointment."

As New York State Health Commissioner from June 1992-December 1994, Dr. Chassin put in place lasting systems to improve quality, developed programs to stem the rise of tuberculosis and to serve people with TB, successfully pushed to ban cigarettes in public schools, and set up new primary care programs for the poor.

Dr. Chassin is Chairman of the Department of Health Policy at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and Executive Vice President for Excellence in Patient Care at Mount Sinai Medical Center. His background also includes service in the federal government and many years of health services and health policy research. He is nationally recognized for his contributions to quality measurement and improvement.